Manila, Jan. 10 -- The 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) prohibits politicians from taking part in the distribution of cash assistance by concerned government agencies, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) acting Secretary Rolly Toledo said on Saturday.

In a radio interview, Toledo said the 2026 GAA, or Republic Act (RA) 12314 on the PHP6.793 trillion national budget, contains a special provision, barring political involvement in the distribution of cash and other forms of financial assistance.

Citing Section 19 of RA 12314, he said all cash assistance and other forms of financial aid distribution will be conducted "exclusively by authorized government officers and personnel or accredited partners."

"No public officials holdin...